Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation<\/p>\n
(By Phil Galewitz for Kaiser Health News)<\/p>\n
Nevada dentist David White has seen diseased and rotted teeth in the mouths of patients who routinely put off checkups and avoided minor procedures such as fillings. While dental phobia is a factor, White said, the overriding reason people avoid treatment is cost.<\/p>\n
To help patients lacking dental insurance, White in 2019 started\u00a0offering a membership plan\u00a0that looks much like an insurance policy \u2014 except it\u2019s good only at his offices in Reno and Elko. Adults pay $29 a month \u2014 or $348 a year \u2014 and receive two free exams, two cleanings, X-rays and an emergency exam, services valued at $492. They also get a 20% discount on office procedures such as fillings and extractions.<\/p>\n
About 250 of White\u2019s patients have signed up, and it\u2019s led many to visit more frequently for routine exams and get necessary treatment, he said. \u201cIt\u2019s pushing patients toward better oral health,\u201d White said.\u00a0 Continue reading the article here…<\/a><\/p>\n Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation<\/p>\n
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